And there’s plenty of magic to see as the usage of technology on exhibition stands continues to rapidly evolve. Current trends include:

Virtual reality.

Augmented reality.

3D and CGI.

Artificial intelligence.

Responsive displays.

Smart surfaces.

Video walls.

But, while it’s easy to get caught up in all the technical wizardry, you should always consider how it is contributing to the main purposes of:

Attracting customers.

Engaging customers.

Converting customers.

Three-second Rule

In three seconds, 8,239,851 emails are sent worldwide, Google is searched 9 million times, 31,350 Coca-Colas are consumed, and a fast snail travels 3.9 centimetres.

In the same time period, a potential visitor has looked at your exhibition stand and decided whether to give it more attention or move on.

To pass the three-second rule, you should have strong branding, clear messaging and, if possible, an obvious “wow” element.

Time on Stand

In his book “A Brief History of Time” physicist Stephen Hawking tried to explain the structure, origin, development, and eventual fate of the universe in non-technical terms.

The time visitors spend on your exhibition stand would also benefit from scientific scrutiny.

How much time is spent, how that time is consumed, and where on your stand … they all provide valuable insights and can be used to shape your future activity.

Tracking Devices

Human-injectable satellite tracking chips may still – mostly – fall within the realms of novels and TV shows, but there are a variety of means of tracking visitors at exhibitions and events.

Examples include mobile apps and Bluetooth tracking, on-stand HD cameras, Bluetooth chips in attendees’ badges, collecting attendee traffic through the Wi-Fi infrastructure, and counting mats with sensors that record the pressure of footsteps.

Trade Press

Oscar Wilde, Anglo-Irish playwright, poet and critic, said: “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”

And you really do want to be talked about in the context of your exhibition stand activity.

One strong way to become a talking point is to share pre-event information with the trade press, particularly by issuing a Press Release with details of a new product or service you are planning to unveil.

This will also attract more visitors to your stand and increase engagement.

Traffic Flow

If you are facing a car, and the driver uses this signal:

Do you ...

Wave back?

Accept their apology?

Realise they’re coming forward.

Slow down?

Traffic flow can be critical to making the most of your exhibition stand, particularly if you are occupying a large space.

Where visitors enter the stand, the things they see, and their journey through your space all have a strong influence on how engaged they are likely to become.

Therefore, traffic flow and the customer journey should be important elements of how your exhibition design is planned out from the outset.

PS: The open palm facing front means “I want to go straight on”, according to the Highway Code.

Training

Very few people enjoy training. It’s not the learning sessions that matter to us … it’s the outcomes.

Fortunately, training the people who will be representatives on your exhibition stand pays great dividends, including increasing the number of leads and enhancing engagement.

Your event team training topics should include:

How to attract the right type of customer.

The rules of engagement.

What questions to ask.

Information that should be provided.

Effective body language.

Role-playing.

Gaining commitment for future follow-up.

Twitter

More than 500 million tweets are sent every day by over 100 million active Twitter users and at least 13 million accounts are in the UK.

Twitter – and the other social media channels – is a key means of raising awareness of your exhibition stand; before, during, and after the event.

Before the show, you can post about your stand and the reasons to visit. During the event, it’s very effective to post live updates and encourage your visitors to do so, too.

And, afterwards, more images and highlights can be posted. All with the relevant #hashtags.